Farewell Brother - QLFC S7R8
by WindelynWhisp
Summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts George Weasley must deal with the loss of his twin brother.


QLFC S7R7 - Farewell Brother

Team: Pride of Portree

Position: Beater 2

Composition: Six of Swords - Upright

Additional prompts: [word] Immune and [object] Flask

Word count: 1641

BEATER 2: Six of Swords — Upright: Transition, Leaving Behind, Moving On, Reversed: Emotional Baggage, Unresolved Issues, Resisting Transition

* * *

Fred and George Weasley were identical twin brothers and the best of friends. Nowhere would one be without the other. The death of Fred was beyond words for George. The first few days after the Battle of Hogwarts, things were a numb blur for George. His parents, Molly and Arthur Weasley were beside themselves, and it pained them even more to see George suffering. Molly offered any and all forms of comfort to her son that she could think of to try and ease his pain.

* * *

7th of May, 1998 Journal Entry One

_I'm not sure what to write here. Mum said it would be good for me to 'get it out' and suggested this journal. What do I say?_ _Hi, my name is George Weasley and my twin brother, Fred…_

George sat back in his chair, defeated, at the desk in what was now only his room. Never would it be shared again with his brother. He slammed the quill down in frustration.

"This is rubbish," he said out loud.

* * *

9th of May, 1998 Journal Entry Two

_Fine, I'll give this another go. I don't have anyone to talk to that won't burst into tears. Mum won't stop crying. Dad hasn't spoken since . . . since it happened. He just stares blankly about the room. It's like all of the lights are on but nobody's home. Bill slipped me Madeye's flask, said he found it where they figured he fell. The thing was still full of Fire Whiskey. Never really cared for the stuff but it does the trick taking the edge off. It helps me sleep. Fred being gone doesn't seem real. I keep waiting for him to bust through the front door laughing. I can hear him say 'gotcha!' and everyone would laugh with him. He would be giving us all the prank of the century. I still haven't cried. Shouldn't I be crying? Ginny won't stop crying just like mum. She's been locked in her room for days._

George fell asleep at the desk with the quill still in his hand. Molly poked her head in the bedroom to check on him. This had become a routine for her. Every hour, almost like clockwork, she would make her rounds to check on her remaining children. She closed the lid to the ink bottle, plucked the quill from his hand and laid it on the desk. She grabbed the nearest blanket, covered George, kissed him on the forehead, and quietly left the room.

* * *

10th of May, 1998 Journal Entry Three

_Spent the day at the bottom of the flask that used to be full of Fire Whiskey. Madeye's flask had been my only comfort today. I don't feel like myself anymore. It's like a part of me has been torn from my soul. Tomorrow is the funeral._

* * *

11th of May, 1998 Journal Entry Four

_Fred ol' boy, you would have been pleased with the turn out today. It was like everyone we had ever crossed paths with showed up. All the staff from the shop, professors from Hogwarts, a bunch of girls weeping that I have never seen before, even the bar keep from the Leaky Cauldron showed. I promised Ron we would do it up right and send you off with a great party. After seeing that sleek black casket, I didn't feel much like celebrating. I just told everyone I wanted to be alone. I needed to be alone with my sidekick; the flask._

* * *

12th of May, 1998 Journal Entry Five

_I thought about going back to the joke shop today but I don't know if I am ready to face it just yet. It's been closed since…_

_Fred, I miss you._

* * *

14th of May, 1998 Journal Entry Six

_Ron spent the entirety of yesterday trying to convince me to go back to the shop. He said that he would help out and lend a hand where I needed it. Hermione offered to go to our, I mean, my flat above the shop and clear out Fred's things. She said that it might be easier if I didn't have to look at his stuff every day. Ginny said that it's okay to let people in, to not bottle in what I am feeling, and that I don't have to act as though I am immune to the pain. I don't know how to say what I am feeling but I sure am not immune to the pain. One thing I may be starting to become immune to is this Fire Whiskey. The flask never leaves my side. Probably a sign I should try and ease up, huh?_

* * *

15th of May, 1998 Journal Entry Seven

_Meal times in the Burrow have become almost too painful to bear. Meals with the family were always something Fred and I loved. It was a time when the entire family would come together and it didn't hurt that Mum's cooking was always top notch. Now, I mostly eat alone. When we did all sit together, everyone would eat in silence. Only a few mumbling of 'morning' or 'hello' were uttered. I can't stand it so I would rather be alone._

* * *

19th of May, 1998 Journal Entry Eight

_It's been a few days since I have been able to write anything down. Mum, Ginny, and I decided to clear out the bedroom of Fred's belongings a few days ago. I lost my journal in the shuffle. Dad just stood in the doorway of the room and watched as we cleaned. He did not utter one word the entire time. Just watched. He looks so much older than he truly is now. The wrinkles have deepened and the bags under his eyes seem to be permanent._

* * *

20th May, 1998 Journal Entry Nine

_Tomorrow will be two weeks since the Battle of Hogwarts. It's almost as if time is standing still and racing by all at the same time. Days seem to blur into one another._

* * *

23rd May, 1998 Journal Entry Ten

_I decided to go back to the apartment above Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Charlie and Percy offered to come with me but I wanted to be alone. At least for right now. The moment I walked through the threshold of the shop, it was as if I had been hit in the chest with a Bludger. All the pain and anger erupted to the surface like a geyser. I let the emotions wash over me and no longer kept it bottled up. I may have been crying on the floor of our shop for a while. It might even have been hours. Each step I took inside was filled with pain. The emotional exhaustion drained every ounce of my energy. I woke up on the floor of the shop just before dawn and apparated back to the Burrow. I wasn't ready to tackle our apartment upstairs._

* * *

24th May, 1998 Journal Entry Eleven

_I decided to take Charlie and Percy up on their offer in helping me at the joke shop as well as the apartment. Having them around helped me keep it together. They took care of most of Fred's things while I sorted through papers for the business. I was elbow deep in paperwork when Percy came down and said I needed to see something. Apparently, my sly fox of a twin brother was working on a new incantation for the shop. It was a variation of our patented Daydream Charm, except this one was for sleep. Fred had left some notes of his trials along with some entertaining doodles: 'still needs some tinkering, don't recall wishing to dream about hippos in tutus doing ballet.'_

_I have decided to finish what he has started and finish the dream charm._

* * *

27th May, 1998 Journal Entry Twelve

_I have finally done it. I have finished the daydream charm and I have named it 'Fred's Goodnight Dream Charm' in honor of my brother. As sappy as that sounds, I tried to think of something witty but that name just kept popping into my mind. I spent the last three days trying to get the incantation just right. It hadn't needed much. Fred's notes had it pretty near perfect. Since I started working on the dream charm, I haven't even touched Madeye's flask. It was a comfort to me for a while but I don't think I really need it. So, I gave it back to Bill. He knew Madeye better than I did and he should keep it._

* * *

28th of May, 1998 Journal Entry Thirteen

_I gave the Goodnight Dream Charm one last go on myself last night, just to make sure there weren't any hiccups before going further in the launch. and sure enough it was probably one of the best dreams I could have asked for. I was back at Platform 9 ¾ and Fred was there standing in front of the Hogwarts Express. When I saw him, I guess he read my face and told me, 'don't do that, no chick flick moments. Don't be a Debbie-Downer, your face looks all screwed up when you're upset. That weepy look is working against your good looks and after all, you need all the help you can get since I was the handsome twin.' I leaned in and embraced him, laughing and crying at the same time. He said to me when I let him go, 'cheer up brother, I got to go out laughing. We should all be so lucky to have that as our last moment.' The whistle of the train began to cry out and he looked at me. He said 'well, that's my queue. I will see you again, George. I love you, brother.' I woke up in the morning with a smile on my face and for the first time in what seemed like a very long time, I felt at peace._


End file.
